Pickles.com.au Vehicles Search Scraper: Extract Australian Auto Auction Data

Excerpt: Scrape comprehensive vehicle listings from Pickles.com.au, Australia's largest auction house. Extract detailed car specifications, auction data, pricing, and condition reports from search results. Ideal for dealers, market analysts, and automotive businesses tracking Australian vehicle auction markets.

Understanding Pickles.com.au and Its Market Position

Pickles is Australia's premier auction house for vehicles, machinery, and equipment, operating for over 130 years. The platform handles government fleet disposals, insurance salvage, ex-lease vehicles, and private sales, making it a critical barometer of Australia's secondary vehicle market.

Unlike consumer-facing marketplaces, Pickles specializes in wholesale and trade sales, providing access to fleet vehicles, damaged cars for repairers, and commercial vehicles. The platform's data reveals market pricing trends, vehicle condition standards, and auction dynamics specific to the Australian automotive sector.

This scraper automates extraction of vehicle search results, capturing specifications, pricing, condition details, and auction metadata that would otherwise require manual navigation across hundreds of listings.

What This Scraper Extracts and Target Users

The scraper processes Pickles vehicle search result pages, extracting comprehensive data across 150+ fields covering vehicle specifications, auction details, condition information, and compliance data.

Core Data Categories:

Vehicle Identification: VIN, registration number, asset ID, stock number, HIN (for boats), serial numbers for unique identification and verification.

Specifications: Make, model, series, badge, year, body type, engine capacity, transmission, fuel type, drive type, cylinders, doors, seats—complete technical specifications.

Condition & History: Kilometres/odometer, salvage status, incident type, driveable status, burnt indicator, engine starts, keys availability, service history, owners manual presence.

Pricing & Auction: Buy now price, highest bid, minimum bid, selling method, auction end time, lot number, for sale status.

Compliance & Safety: Compliance date, ANCAP safety rating, registration expiry, registration jurisdiction, plates status, P-plate approved, ROPS/FOPS certification.

Commercial Vehicle Data: GVM/GCM ratings, tare weight, towing capacity, hours/hubometer readings for machinery, truck-specific transmission types.

Visual & Location: Image URLs, sale event location, product location, vendor information.

Target Users:

Car Dealers monitor wholesale pricing and inventory availability. Panel Beaters & Repairers identify salvage vehicles for parts or repair. Fleet Managers research disposal values for planning. Market Analysts track pricing trends and auction performance. Export Businesses source Australian vehicles for international markets. Insurance Companies benchmark salvage valuations.

Input Configuration: Search URL Structure

The scraper processes vehicle search result URLs from Pickles, not individual vehicle detail pages.

Example Configuration:

{
  "proxy": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  },
  "max_items_per_url": 20,
  "ignore_url_failures": true,
  "urls": [
    "https://www.pickles.com.au/used/search/items?filter=and%255B0%255D%255Bor%255D%255B0%255D%255Bsalvage%255D%3Dnon-Salvage&search=suv&page=2&limit=30"
  ]
}

Example Screenshot:

Parameter Breakdown:

proxy configuration: Set useApifyProxy: false for basic scraping. Enable residential proxies if experiencing blocking. Pickles may implement rate limiting for high-volume requests.

max_items_per_url: Limits extraction per search page. Set to 20 for standard collection or higher (50-100) for comprehensive extraction. Pickles typically displays 30 items per page.

ignore_url_failures: Enable for batch processing multiple searches. Individual URL failures won't stop the entire run.

urls array: Contains search result URLs. Construct URLs through Pickles' search interface, applying filters (vehicle type, salvage status, location, price range), then copy the resulting URL.

URL Construction Tips: Use Pickles search to apply filters: vehicle type (SUV, sedan, ute), condition (salvage/non-salvage), location (state-based), price ranges. The page parameter enables pagination. The limit parameter controls results per page (typically 30).

Complete Output Structure: Field Definitions

The scraper returns extensive vehicle data. Key fields explained:

ID / Asset ID / Asset External ID: Internal identifiers for database management and tracking specific vehicles across systems.

VIN: Vehicle Identification Number—critical for history checks, registration transfers, and verification. Australian market standard for vehicle tracking.

Make / Model / Series / Badge: Vehicle classification hierarchy. Make Filter and Model Facet provide search-optimized versions for filtering.

Year / Built / Series Model Year: Manufacturing date information. Compliance Date indicates when the vehicle met Australian Design Rules (ADRs).

Body / Body Filter / Bike Type: Vehicle category (sedan, SUV, wagon, motorcycle type). Body Filter is search-optimized.

Engine Capacity / Engine Capacity In Litres / Cylinders / Engine Type: Powertrain specifications. Engine Capacity Unit indicates cc or litres measurement.

Transmission / Truck Transmission / Gears: Drivetrain details. Truck Transmission separates commercial vehicle transmission types.

Fuel Type / Fuel System / Induction: Fuel specifications (petrol, diesel, hybrid, electric). Fuel System details injection type.

Drive Type: 2WD, 4WD, AWD classification—critical for Australian market where 4WD vehicles command premiums.

Kilometres / Odometer / Odometer Unit: Mileage—primary value determinant. Hubometer/Hourmeter for commercial vehicles/machinery.

Salvage / Salvage Status / Incident Type: Damage classification. "Salvage" indicates insurance write-off. Incident Type specifies damage cause (hail, fire, theft recovered, collision). Critical for repairers and compliance.

Driveable / Engine Starts / Burnt: Condition indicators. Driveable shows if vehicle can be driven. Engine Starts confirms operational engine.

Registration Number / Registration Expiry / Registration Jurisdiction: Current registration details. Jurisdiction indicates Australian state (NSW, VIC, QLD, etc.).

Plates / Selling Plates / Plates Number: Indicates if vehicle has number plates and if sold with plates.

ANCAP Safety Rating: Australian safety rating (1-5 stars). Important for retail resale potential.

Buy Now Price / Price / Highest Bid / Minimum Bid: Pricing data. Buy Now Price enables immediate purchase bypassing auction. Highest Bid shows current auction status.

Selling Method Name / Buy Method: Auction type (online auction, buy now, tender, negotiation).

Product Bid End / Expiry Date: Auction close time. Critical for time-sensitive bidding strategies.

Lot Number / Lot Number Prefix/Suffix: Auction lot identification for tracking specific sale events.

GVM / GCM / Tare / Towing Braked: Commercial vehicle ratings. GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) and GCM (Gross Combination Mass) determine legal loading capacity. Tare is empty weight. Towing Braked shows trailer capacity.

Doors / Seats / Colour / Trim Colour / Trim Type: Interior/exterior specifications for retail appeal assessment.

Keys / Spare Keys / Owners Manual / Service History: Completeness indicators affecting resale value.

WOVR (Written-Off Vehicle Register): Indicates if vehicle is recorded as written-off in Australian registers—legal compliance requirement.

Vendor Name / Government Department: Seller identification. Government Department indicates ex-government fleet vehicles.

Business Unit Selling / Line Of Businesses: Pickles internal categorization indicating which division handles the sale.

Images: Array of image URLs for visual inspection and marketing materials.

Sale Event Location / Product Location: Physical inspection and pickup locations. Critical for logistics planning.

Standard Equipments / Fitted With / Option Pack / Other Extras: Factory and aftermarket equipment lists affecting value.

Redbook Code / Redbook Description: Australian vehicle valuation guide reference codes enabling automated valuation lookups.

Product Type / Product Variant / Asset Type: Classification for specialized vehicles (passenger, commercial, machinery, marine).

Example ouput

[
  {
  "id": "62145153",
  "asset_id": "4FFA8B1A-B54D-4E66-B896-A4DE7A4B2A97",
  "accessories": [],
  "ancap_safety_rating": 5,
  "asset_external_id": 2001103093,
  "asset_type": "Vehicle",
  "badge": "Allure",
  "badge_secondary": null,
  "badge_facet": "Peugeot|3008|Allure",
  "badge_facet_filter": "Peugeot|3008|Allure",
  "bike_type": null,
  "body": "Hatchback",
  "body_filter": "Hatchback",
  "bookedin_via_autocheck": true,
  "built": "2022",
  "burnt": false,
  "business_unit_selling": "100001093",
  "buy_method": "Pickles Live",
  "buy_now_during_auction": false,
  "buy_now_price": null,
  "price": 0,
  "compliance_date": "01/2023",
  "colour": "Grey",
  "cylinders": 4,
  "description": "CP: 01/2023,Built: 08/2022,Peugeot,3008,P84 MY22 Allure,Hatchback,5 doors,Sports Automatic,Engine #: FJCX2946294,1.6 Ltr,4 Cyl,Petrol - Premium ULP,Direct Injection,6 Gears,67250 (Kms. Showing on Odometer),Colour: Grey,Rego. No: NP(FMC77Z), Unregistered NSW,VIN: VF3M45GYWNS121675,Serial No: Y,Sold with No Plates,WOVR Status: Statutory Write-Off,Incident Type: Impact",
  "doors": 5,
  "driveable": null,
  "drive_type": "FWD : Front Wheel Drive",
  "engine_capacity": 1.6,
  "engine_capacity_in_litres": 1.6,
  "engine_capacity_unit": "Ltr",
  "engine_starts": null,
  "engine_type": null,
  "fitted_with": [],
  "fops": null,
  "fops_serial_no": null,
  "for_sale": true,
  "fuel_economy": 7,
  "fuel_system": "Direct Injection",
  "fuel_type": "Petrol - Premium ULP",
  "gcm": null,
  "gcm_unit": null,
  "gears": 6,
  "colour_unique": null,
  "colour_unique_facet": null,
  "government_department": null,
  "green_star_rating": null,
  "gvm": null,
  "gvm_unit": null,
  "highest_bid": null,
  "hin": null,
  "horse_power": "121",
  "hours": null,
  "incident_type": [
    "Impact"
  ],
  "induction": "Turbo Intercooled",
  "keys": true,
  "kilometres": 67250,
  "length": null,
  "length_unit": null,
  "line_of_businesses": [
    "Cars and motorcycles",
    "Salvage stock"
  ],
  "line_of_business_urls": [
    "cars-motorcycles",
    "salvage"
  ],
  "lot_number": "24",
  "lot_number_prefix": 24,
  "lot_number_suffix": "",
  "sale_lotting_complete": true,
  "make": "Peugeot",
  "make_filter": "Peugeot",
  "colour_manufacturer": null,
  "colour_manufacturer_facet": null,
  "max_power_rpm": null,
  "minimum_bid": 0,
  "model": "3008",
  "model_facet": "Peugeot|3008",
  "model_facet_filter": "Peugeot|3008",
  "odometer": 67250,
  "odometer_unit": "Kms. Showing on Odometer",
  "owners_manual": null,
  "plates": false,
  "product_id": "4FFA8B1A-B54D-4E66-B896-A4DE7A4B2A97",
  "product_in_sale_external_id": 1563355,
  "product_in_sale_id": 2001103093,
  "product_line": "Salvage Vehicles",
  "product_type_filter": "Cars",
  "plates_number": 2,
  "p_plate_approved": "Yes",
  "power": 121,
  "product_bid_end": "2026-01-06T12:59:59Z",
  "publicly_searchable": true,
  "redbook_code": "AUVPEUG2022AECC",
  "redbook_description": "P84 MY22 Allure SUV 5dr Spts Auto 6sp 1.6T (Jun)",
  "redbook_code_legacy": "PEUG22CC",
  "registration_expiry": "2026-12-01T00:00:00.000Z",
  "registration_jurisdiction": "NSW",
  "registration_number": "FMC77Z",
  "rops": null,
  "rops_serial_no": null,
  "salvage": "Salvage",
  "salvage_status": true,
  "seats": null,
  "selling_method_name": null,
  "selling_plates": null,
  "serial_number": "Y",
  "series": "P84",
  "series_facet": "Peugeot|3008|P84",
  "series_facet_filter": "Peugeot|3008|P84",
  "series_model_year": "MY22",
  "service_history": null,
  "short_description": "CP: 01/2023,Peugeot,3008,P84 MY22 Allure,Hatchback,5 doors",
  "spare_keys": null,
  "stock_number": "62145153",
  "suspension": null,
  "tare": null,
  "title": "Peugeot 3008",
  "title_sort": "Peugeot 3008",
  "tonnage_unit": null,
  "towing_braked": 1550,
  "transmission": "Sports Automatic",
  "trim_colour": null,
  "trim_type": null,
  "truck_transmission": null,
  "vendor_name": "ALLIANZ AUSTRALIA INSURANCE LIMITED",
  "vendor_search_name": [],
  "vfacts_class": null,
  "vin": "VF3M45GYWNS121675",
  "wovr": "Statutory Write-Off",
  "etag": "\"3605453b-0000-1a00-0000-69580d080000\"",
  "year": 2023,
  "expiry_date": null,
  "standard_equipments": [],
  "item_lob": null,
  "sale_event_location": null,
  "hubometer": null,
  "hubometer_unit": null,
  "hourmeter": null,
  "hourmeter_unit": null,
  "height": null,
  "width": null,
  "elot_id": null,
  "images": [
    {
      "image_id": 1171866960,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859072/mnnsqhsu01fspj1bminr.jpg",
      "sequence": 17
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171866995,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859072/fpvvvny4zx4nbzedmjim.jpg",
      "sequence": 21
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171866961,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859072/evserxt1drmxlapfojcu.jpg",
      "sequence": 6
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171867002,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859072/m4svtwhyrstlcgowzisd.jpg",
      "sequence": 10
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171867001,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859072/zyaiyzgwgusqeikh3vi9.jpg",
      "sequence": 22
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171867014,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859073/uxivmgw7coyzbtykblvh.jpg",
      "sequence": 5
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171867008,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859072/vvinsow52nirstxroqnp.jpg",
      "sequence": 12
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171867028,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859073/mw0vzzuhwgz54p4hpsqi.jpg",
      "sequence": 15
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171866984,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859072/p1weetswurdhgedfpkef.jpg",
      "sequence": 2
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171866966,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859071/ifmaovpt1stmgylknpg2.jpg",
      "sequence": 9
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171866964,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859072/ijpyxfzp9cshwsjzirk7.jpg",
      "sequence": 11
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171867026,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859073/ioesjociwdrbrrdmgr9m.jpg",
      "sequence": 13
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171867034,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859072/e9k9ptldwqmnpevt3ero.jpg",
      "sequence": 19
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171867039,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859073/f09ohtade1aj5rwzm1cy.jpg",
      "sequence": 20
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171867038,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859073/mtz6ggm2l9dzojp1h0o5.jpg",
      "sequence": 16
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171866991,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859073/indzbgvrlc0kmnb7p977.jpg",
      "sequence": 3
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171867007,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859072/tnl4iyyrofcvaocw2vcj.jpg",
      "sequence": 1
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171867033,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859072/gqrugqjdji7ci1zjtvfj.jpg",
      "sequence": 7
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171867012,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859072/yyloes1ecdr6gsj6ua6g.jpg",
      "sequence": 8
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171866987,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859073/rfrbraswlkgy4tadkvuy.jpg",
      "sequence": 4
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171866992,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859073/vegebvpel0ptshj93a1l.jpg",
      "sequence": 14
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1171867031,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1765859072/skcopva3ish6lgjvl9vg.jpg",
      "sequence": 18
    },
    {
      "image_id": 1172232421,
      "cdn_url": "https://images.pickles.com.au/image/upload/v1767147396/yigrlsrntecjrk1gneno.jpg",
      "sequence": 23
    }
  ],
  "asset_variants": [],
  "sale": {
    "sale_id": 12864,
    "sale_number": 12625,
    "selling_method_names": [
      "Auction",
      "Auction",
      "Auction"
    ],
    "name": "Sydney Salvage Vehicles",
    "sale_event_location": "20-21 Woorang Street  , Milperra, New South Wales, Australia, 2214",
    "description": null,
    "status": "PREPCOMPLETED",
    "sale_start": "2026-01-06T01:00:00Z",
    "sale_start_string": "2026-01-06T12:00:00.000+11:00",
    "sale_end": "2026-01-06T12:59:59Z",
    "sale_end_string": "2026-01-06T23:59:59.000+11:00",
    "business_unit_id": "100001093",
    "business_unit_name": "Milperra, Sydney (NSW)",
    "standard_fee_ids": [
      "5B6DC5A0-7F1F-446D-9997-5E29A1E921FE",
      "8B4266F3-F84B-4206-AEC6-F8A3FB9583C3",
      "87E9F4C5-9019-497A-985A-54C90B36ED85"
    ],
    "fixed_price_period": "",
    "is_public": true,
    "busc_id": 384,
    "buy_method": "Pickles Live",
    "selling_channel_id": "277",
    "start_timezone_abbrev": "AEDT",
    "end_timezone_abbrev": "AEDT",
    "sale_start_timezone": "Australia/Sydney",
    "sale_end_timezone": "Australia/Sydney",
    "name_location_facet": null
  },
  "product_location": {
    "city": "Sydney",
    "city_facet": "NSW|Sydney",
    "city_facet_filter": "NSW|Sydney",
    "suburb": "Milperra",
    "suburb_facet": "NSW|Sydney|Milperra",
    "suburb_facet_filter": "NSW|Sydney|Milperra",
    "state": "NSW",
    "state_filter": "NSW",
    "time_zone": "AEST"
  },
  "product_type": {
    "code": "VEH",
    "title": "Cars"
  },
  "product_variant": [],
  "other_extras": [],
  "option_pack": [],
  "from_url": "https://www.pickles.com.au/used/search/items?filter=and%255B0%255D%255Bor%255D%255B0%255D%255Bsalvage%255D%3Dnon-Salvage&search=suv"
}
]

Implementation Guide

1. Define Search Criteria: Use Pickles website to refine searches—vehicle type, condition, location, price range. Test searches to ensure relevant results.

2. Collect Search URLs: Copy URLs from browser after applying filters. For comprehensive data, collect multiple URLs targeting different categories (SUVs, sedans, commercial vehicles).

3. Configure Input: Set up JSON with URL list. Enable ignore_url_failures for robustness. Adjust max_items_per_url based on page size.

4. Execute Scrape: Launch via Apify console. Monitor progress. Processing 10 search pages (300 vehicles) typically completes in 5-10 minutes.

5. Validate Data: Check critical fields—VIN, price, condition status. Flag missing data for follow-up.

6. Export & Analyze: Export as JSON for databases or CSV for spreadsheet analysis. Filter by salvage status, price ranges, or locations as needed.

Error Handling: Verify URLs are search result pages, not detail pages. Check that filters in URLs remain valid (Pickles may update parameter structure).

Strategic Applications

Wholesale Pricing Intelligence: Track buy now prices and auction results across vehicle categories. Identify undervalued inventory opportunities. Benchmark pricing against retail markets.

Salvage Market Analysis: Monitor salvage vehicle availability by damage type. Assess repair viability based on incident type and condition indicators. Track salvage pricing trends for insurance claims validation.

Fleet Disposal Planning: Analyze ex-government and commercial fleet vehicles to understand disposal timing, pricing, and market absorption rates.

Geographic Market Mapping: Compare pricing and availability across Australian states. Identify regional supply-demand imbalances for arbitrage opportunities.

Compliance Tracking: Monitor WOVR status, registration expiry patterns, and compliance dates to identify vehicles requiring attention before resale.

Inventory Sourcing: Automated alerts for specific vehicle types, price ranges, or conditions matching dealer inventory needs.

Data Optimization Best Practices

Schedule Regular Scraping: Pickles inventory updates daily with new auctions. Weekly scraping captures market dynamics. Daily scraping during peak periods (end of financial year) captures government fleet disposals.

Segment by Vehicle Type: Create separate scrapes for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, and machinery. Different categories have distinct pricing dynamics and data requirements.

Enrich with External Data: Cross-reference VINs with PPSR (Personal Property Securities Register) for encumbrance checks. Compare Redbook Codes with valuation databases for price analysis. Validate WOVR status against state registers.

Track Auction Outcomes: Scrape same vehicles at auction start and end to calculate sell-through rates and final pricing. Historical data reveals market strength and seasonal patterns.

Geographic Filtering: Focus on specific states or regions relevant to your business. Interstate transport costs significantly impact profitability in Australian vehicle trade.

Quality Assurance: Validate VINs using check-digit algorithms. Flag unusual odometer readings. Verify registration jurisdiction matches product location. Identify data inconsistencies for manual review.

Conclusion

The Pickles.com.au Vehicles Search Scraper provides comprehensive access to Australia's largest vehicle auction marketplace. From wholesale pricing intelligence to salvage market analysis, this tool transforms auction data into actionable business intelligence for dealers, analysts, and automotive professionals operating in the Australian market.